It seamed like days on end that she had traveled with Roger. The moments of what happed only weeks ago in her mind still. So now her sister Rose knew that she was on the job like herself. She could not hide it from her forever. Still it would have been nice to hide it just a bit longer. She had never seen her sister look so angry. Why didnâ€™t she understand that this was her chose to work and live as she did? She of all people should have understood. Lost in her thoughts as she rested by the lake. Soon they would know just the face to the name of who held the dagger that could kill her. There where only two daggers made in the world that could kill her when she was in her shadow form. She smiled softly as she remembered the first day that she learned of what she could do. She had just turned ten and Rose, her older sister, had just moved them again to a new home. That had a big fire and shadows where dancing upon the grassy hills with the wind sweeping into them. The mix of everything dancing and then suddenly she was lost with in the sounds and movement of her own feet. Closing her eyes as she stepped in time to the sound of her sisters voce her own reaching higher and higher in till suddenly she was no longer there. Well she was there but not in a human for. She was Roseâ€™s shadow. It took her nearly a week to find out just how to get out of that form and back into it. Not only that but she found that she could still move things with her hands and even if she did turn into another persons shadow she still had her own form and could still use her dagger and other things. She snapped out of her thoughts again only to think of Roger. Just where was he anyway? Looking around over her shoulder with wonder over what might be taking him so long.

Logged

A step behind time. A step behind reason. Only in her mind. For she was before time and before reason. Counting a head. The only way she stays alive.

"'Ten! 'Teeeeeeen! Where are you, you bloody git?!" Saja was annoyed, and getting worried. They'd gotten separated, and now she couldn't find him. Not being around him made her nervous. She wasn't worried about attracting the wrong sort of attention; she could easily take care of herself, and anyway, it's not like she couldn't get away from just about any threat. But that didn't make wandering the task of wandering about aimlessly, searching for her partner any more enjoyable.

A day had passed since the enchantment had been lifted from Queen Yocasta, and she had finally stopped crying, although there was still no shine in her eyes. She called Maria and Roger over.

"Because you broke the spell of that traitor Mage I will give you what help I can. King Coloman's kingdom is not like mine but is a myriad of islands, an archipelago, with the important ones in the centre. He knows you might come and has fortified the inner islands with traps, and even my secret service has been unable to report what they are directly, for fear of discovery. He is thought to be a week away from managing to mass-produce the Dagger and distribute it to his navy. Should he manage such a thing the balance of power in the region would tip, and he is well known for the tortures he has had meted out to anyone who dares oppose him. Some suspect him of still darker plans, to control the dead or raise the beasts of the sea and place the very waves under his command. To a certain extent, he has legalized Necromancy and other arts that should be illegal in all civilised lands. I cannot do anything directly, as I am unpopular with my people, and if I were to start a major war it would threaten my throne."

"And you want us to take action for you,Your Majesty," Roger asked. He then turned to Maria. "Is it such a big thing if he does manage to reproduce that Dagger? It would make much difference to me, and for all I know he might just it for self defence. OK, so it will shake your uber-powers but maybe you would learn to treat others as equals, Maria. Why should we risk our lives?"

Roger stood there by the fire remembering their meeting with the Queen and wondering why he had allowed himself to be talked into going on this fiendishly dangerous quest. He looked at Maria from behind and thought of how beautiful she was, and secretly blew her a kiss.

She looked only to see Roger blowing her a kiss. Why would he do so when he seamed ready to let another person be able to kill her. To have no place for her to run and he thought that she would do nothing. â€œMenâ€ was all she could say. Then suddenly she could not help herself but giggle for that was just what Rose would have said. It was almost scary how alike they where and how they disagreed over so many of things. Picking herself off of the ground as she walked over to him. Her boots in one hand as she had kicked them off long time ago as she moved over to the warm fire. Soon they would be at the first island. The first test of just what side was he really on. She smiled brightly at Roger as she locked her ocean blue eyes onto his. Almost as if she was reading what was on his mind she softly whispers â€œI wonder why you did come. Even if you did own me one by almost getting me killed in Vallermoore. Even if youâ€™re indebted to me why something I still must ask.â€ She shacks her head softly and rolled back onto the soft ground. Her hair spilling upon the ground as she smiled softly. â€œDid my sister Rose talk you into it?â€ she prayed that it was not her sister meddling in her affairs again.

Logged

A step behind time. A step behind reason. Only in her mind. For she was before time and before reason. Counting a head. The only way she stays alive.

He imagined taking her in his arms and kissing her softly on the lips, and then shook his head. She would never find me desirable, the most I can hope from her is a kiss on the cheek.

He smiled at her as it began to rain, first softly, and then faster until the fire hissed and spat sparks. "Cloudburst! Get into the tents-damm, there are no tents." He began to shiver as the rain carried on falling, and he huddled against Maria for warmth. The sea was breaking against the nearby beach with great force. "Is this a normal rainfall, or is it some sorcery sent by King Coloman? And why does he hate the shadow-kind so much that he is willing to spend tons of gold and such a long time making weapons to exterminate them?"

As soon as she felt the rain drops started to fall down upon them she pulled back on her boots and grabbed her leather jacket. Holding it above them before there patch of ground was not wet. She smiled at him as she could only laugh lightly. “Your soaked you know that right?” She giggles again as she lightly push a strand of his hair away from his face. “ Think we shall find some other things other than the dagger? I wonder just what all he might have..” She looked onto the sky was it seamed to light up with the mix of the hot and cold. How alike they where. The cloud burst and her with Roger. Nibbling upon her lower lip as she thought about what it would feel like if he…she stopped her dreams right then. Now way in hell was she going to think about him that way. He was out to kill her! Then again she had been out to kill him time to time. In fact it seamed they take turns on who gets to go after whom. Looking down upon the ground a she tucked in her legs the best she could her body pressing upon his own as the heat seamed to only grow. Which places even more thoughts in her mind.

Roger gently planted a soft warm kiss on Maria's lips, gently pinning her body under his whilst he planted other soft gentle kisses from her forehead to her neck. "I think I love you," he gently whispered in her ear whilst the rain continued falling fast as if it wanted to drown the land. There was a bolt of lightning and a rumble of thunder and then Roger had a vision and screamed in terror.

A wave, rumbling in off the ocean. A great wave towering above the rest, with a great green crocodilian head at one end, each tooth the size of a full grown man, and eyes that glared at them with hatred of the very cells in their body.

"It's coming...we have to get out of here now!" He tried to run but tripped and fell into the wet ashes of the fire.

She felt his lips touch her own as the shock of it over warmed her. Falling back upon the ground as he rained kisses upon her neck. Her nails running lightly into his hair as she was shocked. Her mind was screaming at her but the words she could not hear. The rest of her was screaming to loudly to hear truly anything. He loved her? In a daze she could hardly move even when he told her to. On the rain fell as her jacket was no long able to aide them. The mud mixed into her jet-black hit as the spits of fire still fell onto the ground. Stills he could not think. He loved her? The bolt of lightning didnâ€™t even awaken her from this spell he seamed to cast upon her. The words still resounding in her mind I think I love you. Then he was off of her own form and running. Just what was he running from she had not a clue. â€œYou fool now look at me Iâ€™m all muddy!â€ she screamed at him. She had not a clue as to what she felt right then. The only thing she knew was to grab her pack and start running as well. Her jacket in hand as she quickly placed it inside her leather pack. Placing it upon her back as Maria started running. Her heels sinking into the mud as the fire balls hit the ground. From side to side on she dogged the fire balls one after the other almost leaping into the air. Suddenly she looked her shoulder â€œROGER!â€ Looking over her shoulder she could not see him. Just then a fire ball was coming right for her as she dived into the ground to get away from it. The mud now just about caked upon her. Only picking herself back up again as she started to move again. â€œ ROGER!â€ She screamed even louder this time. â€œ ROGER GET YOU ASS UP HERE!â€

Logged

A step behind time. A step behind reason. Only in her mind. For she was before time and before reason. Counting a head. The only way she stays alive.

"Great. Just great." Saja glared up at the sky as it started to rain. "No shelter, no food, no 'Ten. And now it's raining." Suddenly, she became aware of a commotion down at the beach. "The hell...?" Perhaps a ship had arrived, although it was beyond her what was with the fireballs that seemed to be raining down. She ran, trying to keep her feet. She supposed she could just 'step and avoid the issue, but it could be dangerous to do that lightly. In the end, it didn't matter. Her feet slid out from under her in the mud, and she went tumbling down the hill. Half way down, she managed to turn it into a controlled slide. She even managed to almost miss the girl who suddenly appeared out of the rain. Unfortunately, she didn't twist out of the way fast enough. Saja caught the girl behind the knees, knocking her down on top of her. As soon as she was able, Saja jumped cautiously to her feet, then reached down to haul the girl to her feet. "A pardon. Mud I do not handle well." She glanced down at the beach, then did a double take. "What in the seven gilded hells is going on down there?!" Without thinking, she pulled out one of her bladed fans and snapped it open defensively. It didn't even occur to her what a sight she must look, her white hair all matted up, mud covering her extremely pale skin, and her black uniform mostly ruined.

Just as she had just about had it a girl was headed right for her. She had only picked herself off of the ground to be thrown back down. She could not help herself but look up and try her best to not laugh. If she looked anything like the women before her than she would be indeed in bad shape. Fall balls still flooding the skyâ€™s as she had to roll over suddenly to miss having on hit her right in the middle of her chest. The women did offer her hand but the women herself seamed to be looking at the beach. Pushing herself out of her mud as she smiles. â€œ It tis not your fault. Itâ€™s the d**nâ€ grabbing the women by the arm and pulling her to the right as another fire ball came down. â€œCloudburst, I hate them!â€ Her finger tips already fiddling with her dagger. â€œ ROGER GET UP HERE !â€ She had not a clue as to where he was but she was going to find him even if it meant going back down the hill. In her mind she was doing what she did best with Roger. The d**n no minded dirt bag who ran like a cowardâ€¦ â€œ We should talk latter â€œ she grabbed the womenâ€™s arm lightly as she started her way back up the hill again. Her feet moving this way and that already picking up speed as she went. â€œWE NEED TO GET TO HIGHER GROUND.â€ On she went as she then suddenly looked over her shoulder. Then she jumped to the side rolling to the ground . Her pant leg light singed from a cloudburst. Grinding in her teeth a she moved her pack to the other side and looked for the women to see if she stayed with her. There had to be a cave or something for them to get into. There had to be a mountain. As she was looking over her shoulder she could see a wave of the ocean coming after them as it took form of a man. He was not young nor old but then again it didnâ€™t matter she could feel the anger the hate that he had for her. â€œ Well if thatâ€™s not Neptune I donâ€™t know who is!â€

Saja kept up with the girl nimbly, managing to stay upright in the mud. A fireball almost took her head off at one point, but she managed to duck out of the way. She followed the strange girl up the hill, twisting to avoid the balls of flaming death. Then she looked back to see the approaching wave. She screamed an obscenity in her native language. "I did not sign on for this!" She was sorely tempted to just grab this girl and drop out of here. But the mud was everywhere, and would complicate matters. She wouldn't be able to 'step safely or reliably until she got cleaned up. And anyway, the girl seemed to be looking for someone, and Saja knew what it felt like to misplace a partner. Gritting her teeth, she pulled out her other fan and snapped it open, somehow managing to maintain her balance with both hands occupied and both fans open to the fullest extent. "I surely hope, miss, that you know how to kill that behemoth, or how to get away from it."

ROGER!  She called to him again and still no answer. It was her fault he was even here she was the one who put him in danger. If only she didnt. Leaping back down a bit to stay out of another fireball she knew that she had to think fast. If only she could just disappear into this persons shadow and let her do all the running and everything for her. Looking back onto the thing she nicked named Neptune as she then looked at the ground level. Then she looked onto the trees and how they themselves where getter burnt almost to the ground. How could there be so many trees and no sine of damage when they first walked into this place? How was not important at that moment. Again Maria picked up speed her foot steps becoming faster with each. We are going to have to out run it. An that was as simple as she could tell her. Almost as if the thing/ Neptune knew what she was thinking it started to send his waves right to them. On the waves picked up its speed and claimed higher into the air. Then suddenly there was a cliff. Looking back as she tapped her foot out to the tempo. JUMP! Leaping into the air just as the waves crashed down below filling up in-between the cliff and the valley along sweeping up as if to catch her. Diving into the waters depth as she drove herself to the surface or at lest she tried. The water still moving along the hill sides taking her with it in an undertow. On she kicked with all her might in till she grabbed onto a tree pulling herself out of the water. Pushing the water out of her lungs as she was thankful to be alive. Then she remembered the women who was running beside her. Did she make it as well? Her ocean blue eyes in search of the women.

As a rule, Saja hated water. Played havok with shadows. But in this case, she was just as glad. It washed the mud off. As the wave receeded, she clung a tree and coughed up some water she'd managed to inhale. The other girl seemed to be in one peice, and they both could still move. Miraculously, the wave hadn't torn either fan from her hands, but the next time she might not be so lucky. Besides, it was unlikely that she could do much good with them in this case, so she snapped them shut again and shoved them into her belt. She had to yell over the rush of the water. "I think a retreat is quite in order! Run for it!"

She smiled softly as she shacks her head. Why did that sound like her older sister? “ Might I ask who’s Ten? Did you loss some one as well? I could have sown I heard some one screaming Ten when I was at my camp.” She smiled in a light hearted manner. This woman was not like any every day women. She was a bit like herself with the way she reacted with her fans. Jokingly she called to her “An don’t tell me your trying to save a princess. I have already saved one last weekend.” Jumping down to the ground as her boots snuck into the mud. “Grand more mud…that’s just a grand way to start off the night.” Then suddenly she heard muttering that sounded to much like herself at times. “ Roger! Over here!” she called to him as she started walking in the detraction of his voce. On she walked thinking about many things. Looking back to the women named Saja as she shacks her head. “ I can’t I must keep on moving.” She then grinned happily when she found Roger and hugged him tightly. “ Roger!” Then suddenly she let go of him as a small amount of anger flashed in her eyes. “ Why did you run away like a cowered when I needed you! Some guy you are always running! Why did you even come with me if your going to run all the time!”

"I am Saja Jyn, bound companion of Althista of Jernos," she replied automatically. 'Ten always railed at her about that, said she needed to respect herself more. Frankly, she didn't much care what others thought of her, and she liked and respected the princess. Her gaze swept over the devastated beach. "I might suggest retreating inland, once we have found your associate. The water demon might come back."

OOC-My computer broke and was down for two days so I was unable to reply, or tell you what had happened until now.

IC-Roger picked himself up and ran, the waves closing in. They caught him and he rolled overand over, just managing to avoid trees and rocks until finally the waves let him go and drained back into the sea. Coughing spluttering, he shouted "Maria? Where are you?? We just encountered an avatar-if that was the real thing with it's full powers, I would be drowned and dead, and you might well have died too. That thing only has a fraction of the power of what it represents-the sea deamon Ma-O."

He began to shiver and shake widly in the cold of the night and started looking for Maria.

She smiled softly as she shacks her head. Why did that sound like her older sister? “ Might I ask who’s Ten? Did you loss some one as well? An don’t tell me your trying to save a princess. I have already saved one last weekend.” Jumping down to the ground as her boots snuck into the mud. “Grand more mud…that’s just a grand way to start off the night.” Then suddenly she heard muttering that sounded to much like herself at times. “ Roger! Over here!” she called to him as she started walking in the detraction of his voce. On she walked thinking about many things. Looking back to the women named Saja as she shacks her head. “ I can’t I must keep on moving.” She then grinned happily when she found Roger and hugged him tightly. “ Roger!” Then suddenly she let go of him as a small amount of anger flashed in her eyes. “ Why did you run away like a cowered when I needed you! Some guy you are always running! Why did you even come with me if your going to run all the time!”

Logged

A step behind time. A step behind reason. Only in her mind. For she was before time and before reason. Counting a head. The only way she stays alive.

"The wave had a head on it-a crocodile head-did you not see it? It's an avatar of Ma-O, one of the most fearsome deamons in the whole Ocean. I thought it was the real thing but if it was we would be dead now. It was a warning, I think.A warning from King Colomon not to interfere." He put his hand to his arm, that had been cut by some sharp wave-tossed piece of rock.

(OOC: Just quick out of character comment; full post will be a while in coming. I never said anything about 'Ten while we were talking, although Saja was shouting for him before she ran into you. And I didn't say anything at all about Althista being a princess. Unless your character knows about the royal family of Jernos (possible), she wouldn't know about the princess. Although I suppose she could have been being sarcastic...)

"'Ten... Moraten Li is my partner. We were shipwrecked not terribly long ago, and became separated. And no, we rather left our princess at home. We were asked... to accomplish something for her father." Saja considered for a moment. "Who is King Colomon, and why should you interfere with him?" She glanced at the man's wounded arm. "I could tend that, if you wish. I have some experience with that sort of thing."

(OOC: I'm out of town until Tuesday night. Go on without me, assume I'm with you, just being very quiet. If you want her to, Saja will patch up Roger's arm.)

IC-"King Coloman is one of those rulers who allways wants more then he has," said Roger, "and spents much of his taxes on building up his armed forces whilst his people grow hungry. And he appears to be an acolyte of the deamon Ma-O as well. He has to be stopped."

“Yes yes I have seen it how could I not when it was coming right at me! You didn’t answer where you where!” She nibbled upon her lower lip as she took a deep breath. How her sister Rose stayed so cool all the time she had not a clue. Right then she wanted to blow up at Roger. Then again she was thankful that he did not tell the women the other reasons for them coming. Like the shadow dagger. That was the last thing that she needed was for others to know her true form. If one knew they all knew. Brushing herself off a bit as her clothing was sticking to her form. On she looked around. “ If we go back to the higher ground we might find some wood to build another fire and dry off our clothing. Or do you just want to shrug it off and keep going?”

Logged

A step behind time. A step behind reason. Only in her mind. For she was before time and before reason. Counting a head. The only way she stays alive.

"I didn't know where I was myself, I just fled and then that thing nearly drowned me. I think we should go on as we are. We can either try and sneak in to Coloman's kingdom, or come in openly,either as travelers or as diplomats-Queen Yocasta gave me a genuine diplomatic pass. Both courses of action have their dangers. I think we should keep going by the way, it will be dawn soon."

“Oh yes lets just walk right now and bow to the king.” Mocking ly she bowed and started to act out the rest of her words as if he was the king. “ Hello your kinglyness you don’t mind if we nock you down from your rule do you? Oh and please ask your demon too not drown us as we pick up all the things that could kill this world as we know it! Well good day to you then!” With that she saluted him and started mockingly walking away. “Yes that’s just a grand plan!” With that she started on up the hill not caring if Roger nor if the new women followed her. She had to just walk off her angry of something like a demon as well as the very fate of her life and death at the hands of Roger. That alone was plenty to drive her mad! Then she turned around placing a hand upon her hip. Damp hair still clinging to her face. “ Are you coming or what?”

Logged

A step behind time. A step behind reason. Only in her mind. For she was before time and before reason. Counting a head. The only way she stays alive.

OOC-my computer is dying and I need a new one.So if I'm slow to reply, it's not really my fault.I'm going to get a new one ASAP.

IC-"Sorry, I didn't mean it that way," said Roger. "It seems we'll need to sneak in then."

The full moon shone silver on the upturned and in some cases, smashed boats and flopping fish that the wave had left behind.Roger blew a kiss at the back of Maria's head and pondered his next move. "We could right one of these upturned boats and row off in it, if we had oars."

As the sun rose Roger motioned to Maria to duck down as several blue-cloaked guards marched at a fact walk across the beach, long tridents and small bucklers in their hands. The leader cursed. "What in the name of Neptune has happened here? Boats to be repaired, as we can't let our decent tax-paying sujects starve.And the paperwork I will have to fill in! And someone will have to bother the Admiral and tell him about it and he won't like it at all."